Movie Reviews

Thiruttu Payale 2: Decent Thriller Let Down by Sloppy Screenplay

Movie Review by Anirudh Madhav (Rocheston Certified Movie Critic)

One of the dialogues in Thiruttu Payale 2 can be roughly translated to this- Once you store something digitally, it always stays there. This forms the core of the film’s idea.

The movie revolves around the concept of stalking, cyber bullying and the impact of social media on individuals. Touted to be a sequel to Susi Ganesan’s 2006 movie by the same name, Thiruttu Payale 2 has no direct link to its predecessor, but has familiar plot in the storyline.

The opening sequence of Thiruttu Payale 2 is reminiscent of Mahesh Babu in Spyder. Intelligence Officer Selvam (Bobby Simha) listens and stores the conversations of top officials in the government. However, he is not the honest officer who pins them down like Mahesh Babu. Instead, he is seen as ‘honest corrupt’ officer, who stops corruption while using it for his own gain.

Director Susi Ganesan once again ventures into the concept of lust and betrayal with technology in the background. As Selvam eavesdrops on his targets, he stumbles upon the voice of his wife Agalvilakku (Amala Paul) and Balki (Prasanna). The latter pulls off his creepy online stalker role with finesse. What follows is a cat and mouse chase between Balki and Selvam.

A sequence where Balki drives a woman to suicide through a video call, establishes his character as a cyber-bully. Prasanna is in his best form till date as he sports a chiseled body and carries a confident demeanor throughout the movie. The portions, where he is occasionally beaten up by Selvam’s friends, sprinkle some humor in the movie. Amala Paul has hardly anything much to do in the film and her act as a naïve young wife, who believes every word of her husband seems forced.

Several plotlines crowded into the script and an inconsistent screenplay makes this film dragging in parts. Vidyasagar’s music fails to impress and ends up acting as a major hindrance to the storyline. The climax is particularly frivolous and definitely, not satisfying.

Director Susi Ganesan himself does a small cameo as a detective but hardly makes any impact on the failing storyline.P Chelladurai’s cinematography makes the sets stand out in indoor shots and he manages to capture the scenic beauty in the climax. A crisp screenplay, a stronger role for Amala Paul and a different climax would have made this film much more gripping. Sadly, it ends up being an average entertainer.